Meaning of 收拾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to put in order
- to tidy up
- to pack
- to repair
- (coll.) to sort sb out
- to fix sb
How to use 收拾
收拾 is most often used for tidying a room, clearing a table, or packing luggage, and it can also mean to fix something. In casual speech it can mean to deal with or punish someone. Example: 我得收拾一下房间。(Wǒ děi shōushi yíxià fángjiān.) I need to tidy up my room.
收 (shōu) means to gather in, as in 收到 (shōudào) to receive, and 拾 (shí) has the hand radical 扌, so picture your hand gathering scattered things back into place. Gathering things up with your hands is tidying up.
Common mistake: Learners often read 拾 with its full tone as shí, but in 收拾 it is usually neutral: shōushi. Also, 拾 is easily confused with 给 (gěi) or 恰 (qià), so check for the hand radical 扌 plus 合.
收拾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
收 shōu · to receive · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
拾 shí · to pick up · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 收拾.
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive |
| 收入 | shōurù | to take in; income |
| 收音机 | shōuyīnjī | radio |
| 收看 | shōukàn | to watch (a TV program) |
| 收费 | shōufèi | to charge a fee |
| 收听 | shōutīng | to listen to (a radio broadcast) |
| 收回 | shōuhuí | to regain; to retake |
| 收获 | shōuhuò | to harvest; to reap |
| 吸收 | xīshōu | to absorb; to assimilate |
| 收益 | shōuyì | earnings; profit |
| 收集 | shōují | to gather; to collect |
| 回收 | huíshōu | to recycle; to reclaim |
Questions about 收拾
What does 收拾 mean?
收拾 (shōushi) means "to put in order; to tidy up" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 收拾?
收拾 is made of 2 characters: 收 (6 strokes), 拾 (9 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 收拾 an HSK word?
Yes. 收拾 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 收拾 and 打扫?
打扫 (dǎsǎo) means cleaning by sweeping or wiping away dirt. 收拾 means putting things in order or packing them away. You might 收拾 your desk without cleaning it at all.
Is 收拾 rude when used about a person?
Saying 我收拾你 (wǒ shōushi nǐ) means something like "I will deal with you" and sounds threatening or scolding. Parents may say it jokingly to children, but it is informal and not polite with strangers.